There’s something rather fitting about this month’s Driven line-up. By happenstance, we find ourselves exploring two very different interpretations of the Toyota Gazoo Racing philosophy. On the one hand, the sensible, slightly sportier Toyota Corolla Cross GR-S. On the other hand, this – the smallest, most focused expression of GR’s motorsport DNA, the Toyota GR Yaris 1.6T GR-Four Rally, now fitted with an automatic gearbox.
The automatic Toyota GR Yaris 1.6T GR-Four Rally, rather amusingly, took its time to finally arrive in the Driven garage after its local unveiling in October last year. In hindsight, though, that delay may have worked in its favour, as it gave me time to sit with my initial impressions, and more importantly, to challenge them.
When I first encountered the updated GR Yaris, my biggest reservation centred on the automatic transmission. Not because I didn’t like the eight-speed torque converter auto, but because it seemed to dilute what made the original manual version so engaging. That tactile, mechanical connection between driver and machine felt slightly softened. It was, if you like, a small step away from the rally-bred purity that defines the GR badge.
Fast forward a week with the car, and I’ll admit it, my stance has shifted to really enjoying the auto ‘box.
More than that, if I were standing in a dealership today, pen in hand and faced with the choice between manual and auto, I’m no longer convinced I’d instinctively reach for the manual. That’s a sentence I didn’t expect to write.
The reasoning is fairly straightforward. When you’re dealing with a package as inherently playful and rewarding as the GR Yaris, the way you access that enjoyment becomes less critical. The car delivers such a high baseline of engagement that the gearbox simply becomes another layer, rather than the defining feature.
And in the real world, the one filled with traffic, stop-start driving, and the occasional bout of urban frustration, the automatic starts to make a compelling case for itself. It broadens the car’s usability without stripping away its character. If anything, it makes that character more accessible, more often.
PERFORMANCE THAT STILL BITES
That’s not to say it has gone soft, far from it.
Under the bonnet sits the same turbocharged 1.6-litre three-cylinder engine, still one of the most characterful powerplants in this segment. Local figures peg it at 210 kW and 400 Nm, delivered to all four wheels via Toyota’s GR-Four all-wheel-drive system. The result is a claimed zero to 100 km/h time in the region of 5.2 seconds (ahead of all but one of its competitors), which feels entirely believable from behind the wheel.
What the automatic does is alter the rhythm of how you interact with that performance. Shifts are quick and decisive, and when you’re pressing on, the gearbox keeps the engine right in its torque sweet spot between 3,500 and 4,500 rpm. It may not offer the same sense of involvement as rowing through the gears yourself, but it compensates with immediacy and ease.
And ease, in this context, is not a dirty word.
Because the GR Yaris still delivers where it matters most, in the way it drives.
The chassis remains the star of the show. There’s a tautness, an eagerness to change direction, that immediately sets it apart from more conventional hot hatches. Grip levels are immense, yet the car never feels inert. Instead, it dances beneath you, constantly communicating, constantly inviting you to push a little harder.
It’s this sense of playfulness that defines the experience. You don’t simply drive the GR Yaris, you engage with it. Every corner becomes an opportunity, every stretch of road a reason to stay out a little longer.
Interestingly, my time with the car also softened my earlier criticisms of the interior. Yes, the touchscreen remains on the smaller side, especially when you consider the amount of dashboard space surrounding it. But after a few days, I found myself less concerned about the screen, and more focused on enjoying every drive. When a car is this engaging, screen size becomes background noise.
HEAD VS HEART IN A TOUGH SEGMENT
It would be remiss not to acknowledge where the GR Yaris sits in the broader market.
It occupies a niche that includes some heavy hitters. Cars like the Volkswagen Golf GTI, the BMW M135, and the Honda Civic Type R all compete for the same enthusiast attention, albeit with slightly different approaches.
The Germans, in particular, bring a level of interior polish that the Toyota doesn’t quite match. Step inside a Golf GTI or M135, and you’re greeted with materials and finishes that feel a notch above. There’s a sense of refinement that the GR Yaris doesn’t have.
Then there’s the matter of size. The Yaris is noticeably smaller in both cabin space and luggage capacity. It’s less practical, less accommodating, and comes at a price premium.
For some buyers, those factors will be decisive, but it has an ace up its sleeve. Because while its rivals may feel more premium, they also feel more sanitised. More filtered. More predictable. The Toyota, by contrast, feels alive.
It’s more visceral than its Teutonic counterparts, and more raw than its only Japanese rival in the Civic Type R. There’s an edge to it, a sense that it hasn’t been overly polished in the pursuit of mass appeal. It retains a layer of mechanical honesty that’s becoming increasingly rare.
And that, ultimately, is its greatest strength.
LAST WORD
In a segment where brand loyalty often plays a significant role, the GR Yaris has something else on its side, authenticity. It feels like a car built with intent, with purpose, and with a clear connection to the motorsport programme that inspired it.
It may not be the most practical choice. It may not be the most premium. But when it comes to delivering a genuinely engaging driving experience, it makes a very strong case for itself.
And now, with the automatic gearbox in the mix, it’s a case that’s easier than ever to live with every day.
Report by BERNIE HELLBERG JR | Images © TOYOTA SOUTH AFRICA
